I met Joy begging in Abuja one night with her baby. I asked her why, she doesn’t look like someone that has to beg. Joy is from Benin in South West Nigeria. Her story is so typical it could be the story of every Nigerian woman. Her husband abandoned her with 3 children and a fourth one on the way. Listen to her story. You will cry.
She’s not posh, or educated, she sounds more like a bad Nollywood script sometimes but she is the average Nigerian woman, the uneducated, urban dwelling women who struggle to raise children and keep their husbands by their side each day.
Her determination, her spirit, her persistence and ultimately her courage are what endear her to me and make me want to help her. We’ve taken her to the Ministry of Women Affairs, WRAPA and to MTN Foundation. She does not meet the criteria for any of their programs.
All I’ve done all I can do right now is bring her story and her begging to the internet. So maybe she won’t have to stand on the streets at night (the only time she can come out as she explains) vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, though I doubt she is that easily exploited.
We have helped her open a bank account, the first in her life. If you are moved to help her please make a direct contribution to her. She says she needs money to resume her domestic fuel business and send her children back to school.
If you are in Nigeria you can make a donation to Joy’s account
Account Name: Joy Osadolor
Bank: GTB Plc
Account Number: 0121071317
If you wish to speak to Joy or make a donation from abroad you can email me at lesleyagams@yahoo.com
You can also visit my site for more information about my work in Nigeria http://www.lesleyagams.com
MzAgams 